The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-24
The Romance of the Crib.

Captain Chas. Kallstrom, who Is widely
known among the vessel men of the great
lakes and the people Of Chicago as the man
at the crib" was taken to the insane depart
ment Of the County Jail, last night, hope
less maniac. His story is peculiar one
The Captain is native Of Finland, and met
his wife, who was an Irish lass, during
trip to the Green Isle on a merchantvessel, of
which he was captain. They were married,
and few years later journeyed to the New
World. They found themselves in Chicago,
and Killstrom received the appointment of
keeper at the crib, lighthouse some miles
out in the lake, where the tunnel ends that
supplies the city with water. Through
stormy weather and fair weather there they
were, guarding the great wells and keeping
the lights burning in the tower above. The
half million people who drank the filtered
water never stopped to think of the lonely
little couple at the other end of the big n.y.
drant. In winter and summer it was the
same, save at rare intervals, when curious
visitors arrived, to see what kind of looking
box the crib was.
One day the incident occurred that made
the names Of the couple almost famous.
The Captain. in row boat, had been to the
city after provisions, and squan overlook
him on his Journey back. He managed to
had to raise the boat with the windlass by
herself. A hurricane was lashing the waters
into foam, and the stout-hearted woman
worked at the windlass for her life She par
TALLY hoisted the boat, then put her hands on
the railing and leaped below to secure 1t.
A spike caught under the gold wedding ring
on her finger, and as she dropped her finger
was torn from its socket and hung on the
rail above her head. With the blood flowing
in a stream from the hole, she secured the
boat and then bore up while the wound was
wrapped. Had she faltered for a moment
her husbands life would certainly have been
the forfeit So strange an incident attracted
general attention, and whenever kallstrom
came ashore he was much sought after 10 tell
and retell the story, and many flowing
bowl was quaffed to his brave wife.
Kalstrom's visits to the city became in
creasingly frequent, and his associates less
and less desirable. Urged by fool friends, he
determined to build an excursion boat which
on its trips would touch at the crib and allow
a sight of the heroine and the lonely life Of
the lighthouse. 1t was at this time that
Kallstrom was drinking most heavily, and
often Mrs. Kallstrom was alone tending to
the crib in a storm. He had had fall from
the mast to the deck OF vessel when boy,
and that taken with the drink, affected his
brain. He began to imagine queer things,
and one day accused his wife OF flirting with
the visitors who came, especially tn Alder
men and Mayor. She knew he was not right
in his head, and kept her troubles to herself
They left the crib, and the crib keepers
friends got him to start saloon, which he
ran until recently. Still drinking, he became
more Tightly, until it is now known that he
has made frequent attempts TO Stay the
brave little woman whose unexampled forth
tude saved him from the waves. He is la
boring under the hallucination that not his
wife alone, but everybody wants to assassi-
nate him, and he Is utterly unmanageable.
Mrs. Kallstrom is nearly heart-broken.